The Chief Executive Board of Star Alliance has appointed Mark Schwab to head the Star Alliance central organisation, based in Frankfurt, Germany, as its new Chief Executive. Mark comes from Star Alliance member United where he was responsible for the company’s alliances as Senior Vice President Alliances. In this capacity he also served as a member of Star Alliance’s Management Board. He succeeds Jaan Albrecht, who was appointed as Chief Executive of Austrian Airlines on 1st November 2011.
The Star Alliance currently has 28 member airlines operating more than 21,000 daily flights.
“With Mark Schwab we have secured an internationally renowned airline executive, who has all the qualifications required to lead our alliance into the next chapter of its success story,” said Rob Fyfe, Chief Executive of Air New Zealand and Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board. “This appointment follows a worldwide search resulting in the comfortable situation of having several high calibre candidates to choose from. Mark convinced us with his vast industry know-how and his tremendous international experience. Having served our business in several executive positions across the globe gives him that specific background that we need for this challenging position.”
Mark Schwab held numerous executive positions in the airline industry at United Airlines, US Airways and American Airlines. He began his aviation career in 1975 with Pan American World Airways in Rio de Janeiro. As a global citizen he spent most of his career outside his home country, the USA. He headed organisations in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Being fluent in Portuguese and in Spanish language he holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American affairs from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
